This invention relates to a printer of the type useable in various environments, such as in calculators. Printers of this type typically utilize a drum, chain, or disc as the print member, i.e., the member which carries the characters to be printed. The print disc has the advantages of being smaller than either the drum or chain and has less inertia.
Paper or other medium on which printing is to occur is moved over the characters. Hammers are selectively actuated to impact the paper and ribbon between the hammers and the characters on the print member. This prints the selected characters on the paper.
During the course of a working day, a printer is called upon to print only intermittently. In some prior art impact printers, the print member rotates continuously during standby periods. In other prior art devices, special shut-off mechanisms are provided to shut off the print member a limited time after the most recent usage of the printer. In either event, rotation of the print member during standby occurs and, to this extent, the printer is worn unnecessarily and power is unnecessarily consumed. Most significant, however, is the annoyance to personnel caused by the noise of the motor and the noise inherent in rotating the print member during standby periods.